1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for towing a trailer behind a towing vehicle and, more particularly without limitation, to apparatus for towing a fifth wheel trailer behind a towing vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A commonly observed need is the ability to tow a powerless vehicle, such as a trailer, behind a powered vehicle, such as an automobile, pickup or truck. Many automobiles and small trucks such as pickups have a ball hitch or square-shaped conventional receiver hitch located at the rear thereof to connect to a trailer for towing purposes. This is an acceptable arrangement where the trailer has a hitch-connecting device located at the end of a tongue extending forwardly from the front end of the trailer so articulation is provided which allows the tandemly-arranged towing vehicle/towed vehicle combination to effectively and efficiently negotiate turns during towing operations. A major drawback of this arrangement is that the magnitude of weight at which the trailer bears down on the towing vehicle hitch, sometimes referred to as the tongue weight, is limited. Since the towing vehicle hitch for this arrangement is spaced a substantial distance behind the rear axle of the towing vehicle, the lever arm of excessive tongue weight relative to the rear axle of the towing vehicle may substantially reduce the force at which the front, steering wheels of the towing vehicle bear against the ground thereby interfering with the ability to control the performance of the towing vehicle-towed vehicle combination—a very dangerous situation.
For towing arrangements for a trailer, such as a gooseneck-type trailer, where substantial tongue weight is generally involved, a ball hitch is typically mounted over, or in close proximity to, the rear axle of the towing vehicle to thereby eliminate the lever arm of the tongue weight which might otherwise seriously inhibit the ability of the towing vehicle to control the towing arrangement. The “tongue” of the gooseneck-type trailer typically has two features. First, the tongue has a first portion which extends forwardly from the trailer which allows the gooseneck-type trailer, when connected to the ball hitch of the towing vehicle, to trail far enough behind the towing vehicle such that the towing vehicle/towed vehicle combination can efficiently and effectively negotiate turns during towing operations. Second, the tongue has a second portion that extends downwardly from the forward end of the first portion that connects the gooseneck-type trailer to the ball hitch of the towing vehicle. Typically, the length of the second portion is dimensioned such that the gooseneck-type trailer will be approximately level when connected to the ball hitch of the towing vehicle. In many cases, the towing vehicle is a pickup wherein the ball hitch is mounted to the bed of the pickup and the cargo portion of the pickup has sides and a tailgate that extend substantially above the bed of the pickup. As a result, the horizontal dimensions of the second portion are minimized such that the second portion can freely pivot about the ball hitch of the towing vehicle without interference from the pickup sides and tailgate during turning operations.
For towing arrangements for a fifth wheel-type trailer having substantial tongue weight, a fifth wheel hitch is required. Since fifth-wheel trailers generally do not include the downwardly-depending second portion of a gooseneck-type trailer, hitches for fifth wheel-type trailers are typically mounted substantially above the bed of the towing vehicle in order for the fifth wheel-type trailer to clear the pickup sides and tailgate of the towing vehicle during turning operations. Such a fifth wheel hitch utilizes a substantial amount of space of the cargo area of the towing vehicle, space which could be needed for other purposes when the towing vehicle is not connected to a fifth wheel-type trailer. Preferably, the fifth wheel hitch can be installed when the towing vehicle is being used for towing a fifth wheel-type trailer and removed so the towing vehicle can be used for other purposes when the towing vehicle is not being used for towing purposes.
Also, users sometimes need to use their towing vehicle to tow a gooseneck-type trailer and other times to use the same towing vehicle to tow a fifth wheel-type trailer. A ball hitch mounted to the bed over the rear axle would suffice for towing a gooseneck-type trailer but would not provide the necessary side and tailgate clearance for towing a fifth wheel-type trailer as hereinbefore described.
What is needed is an apparatus that quickly and easily converts a ball hitch for a gooseneck-type trailer, wherein the ball hitch is mounted to the bed of a towing vehicle, to a fifth wheel hitch mounted substantially above the bed of the towing vehicle.